Dreaming
by boiledcabbages
Summary: Two unlikely friends try to figure out why they haven't given up just yet. [High school AU]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, everyone. This is my first proper Hetalia story. I only have a vague idea of where this is going to go, so I hope it turns out well. As of right now, I don't think this is going to turn into a romance, but I'll let the writing take me where it wants to go. I'm trying out a new style of writing, so I hope you all like it. I also hope I don't slaughter Belarus' character. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I'm writing on a site that has the word '_fan-fiction' _in its name****_._**** If that doesn't tell you that the characters aren't mine, I don't know what will. **

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It was on the rooftop of their school that Lovino had his first encounter with her.

The Italian was lying down on his back, looking up at the grey storm clouds that swirled in the sky. He knew he shouldn't be up on the roof - the cafeteria and the courtyard are the only places students were allowed for lunch - but he couldn't bring himself to care. A tupperware container of Pugliese casserole lay beside him, but he wasn't hungry. He didn't know why and didn't know if he wanted to find out why.

Lovino heard the loud creak of the door to the roof opening, and he turned his head to see his classmate standing in the doorway. Her long, platinum-blonde hair swayed with the wind, and her cold blue eyes settled on his lax form. They remained in a sort of staring contest for a few moments until she speaks.

"I didn't think anyone would be up here," she said, a thick, Eastern Slavic accent coating her words.

"Sorry to disappoint you," he answered, turning back towards the sky. He heard the door close, and he wondered if she left him alone.

He heard her footsteps move to the opposite side of the roof, and he barely managed to refrain from sighing. He hadn't counted on company, and now that he had some, he wished she'd go away.

A thick and awkward silence passed between them, and after a few minutes Lovino was unable to handle it. "What are you doing up here?"

"That's none of your business," she replied icily.

Another lengthy period of silence.

Lovino tried to make himself forget about her, and closed his eyes as he heard the deep rumble of thunder. He felt cool droplets of water on his skin and before he knew it, it was pouring. His clothes were soaked and his hair was plastered to his face, but he paid it no mind.

He waited to see if she would go back inside, but he didn't hear her footsteps. He forced himself into a sitting position and turned to look at her. She was sitting on the ledge, her long legs dangling off the side. Her hair was stringy, and the rain had caused her uniform to become semi-transparent.

Lovino stood up and made his way over to her, slipping off his uniform jacket as he walked. He took a seat a fair distance away from her, and offered her his jacket. She looked up at him, her cobalt blue eyes even more intimidating up close. He struggled to keep eye contact and was grateful when she turned her gaze away. She accepted the jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders.

"Thank you," she muttered.

He mumbled back a "You're welcome" and the two of them sat there, the rain hammering down on their heads.

"We should get inside," Lovino said after a few minutes. "We're going to get sick."

"I don't want to go inside," she answered bluntly.

He let himself lie down on his back again, closing his eyes. "Me neither."

"Then why did you volunteer the idea?"

He shrugged as well as his clingy clothing alllowed. "I thought you might be cold."

She scoffed. "I grew up with Belarusian winters. The cold doesn't bother me."

"Fair enough," he said. "What's your name?"

She turned her head to look at him with an arched eyebrow. "We're in the same class. You know my name."

"What's wrong with a proper introduction?"

"There's no point in asking a question you already know the answer to, _Lovino_."

"And there's no point in arguing with you is there, _Natalya?"_ He replied to her statement, stressing her name like she did his. He didn't quite know how he was speaking to her so casually - they were practically strangers, after all, and she (to him, at least) was the most intimidating person in the whole school - but he found he didn't really mind. He felt like it's been ages since he's spoken so easily with someone.

"No, there isn't," Natalya answered. She stood up shortly after, and headed to the door that lead inside.

"I thought you didn't want to go inside," Lovino said, following her movement with his eyes.

"I didn't," she agreed. She looked back at him and pointed to her watch. "But if we don't go inside, we'll be late for English."

He mentally berated himself for forgetting and quickly scrambled to his feet, grabbing his untouched lunchbox on his way to join her at the door. "Ms. Kirkland will give us hell for tracking water in her classroom."

Natalya shrugged. "Let her."

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**A/N: Yes, it's short, I'm aware. I really hope I won't lose inspiration for this story; I'm really liking where it is so far. I apologize for any grammar or spelling slip-ups I may have made. Reviews would be appreciated, and I'm always open to constructive criticism. Anything to make this better. **

**Until next time! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm really surprised with the reception this story has gotten already! 45 views, 2 follows, and 4 favourites! Thank you all so much! It actually inspired me to write this second part quickly. Anyway, on to chapter two and I hope you all like it! **

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One week had passed since her meeting with Lovino.

She remembered how at ease he seemed when he spoke to her, and she often caught herself speculating about why he had bothered to make conversation.

Natalya was snapped out of her thoughts as she bumped into someone. She stumbled back a step, her fingers tightening on her lunch bag, and sent a frigid glare to whoever she hit. It turned out to be Toris, a Lithuanian boy with a hopeless crush on her.

"Oh, sorry, Natalya," he said, smiling apologetically.

She didn't speak and waited for him to continue instead.

One of his hands began rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, I-I was wondering if you'd like to eat lunch with me?"

"Why?"

He seemed a little surprised at the question. "Well, you always look sort of lonely, sitting by yourself, so I..."

Toris kept talking, but Natalya stopped listening at the word 'lonely.' She had always associated the word with her family members, but never with herself personally. She didn't have time to reflect on it, as Toris was no longer talking and was now awaiting an answer.

"I have to decline your offer," she said. She didn't take the time to note his crestfallen look and instead kept walking forward. She stoppe for a moment. "Thank you, though."

Natalya heard a "you're welcome" before the sound of his footsteps faded away. She wandered throughout the school and soon found herself at the staircase leading up to the roof. She briefly wondered whether or not Lovino would be up there again before pushing the thought out of her mind and entering the stairwell.

The concrete steps were dusty, and when she reached the top, she had to use all her strength to move the rusting door handle. She pushed open the door, the hinges groaning and whining, and was met with an empty roof.

She tried to ignore the small feeling of disappointment that rose in her chest. Why would she even want to see him? They'd only properly met once, and if he turned out to be as cowardly as everyone says, she didn't want to waste her time on him.

Natalya sat down in the same place she'd been last time, her eyes settling on the horizon. Her stomach was growling, but she couldn't bring herself to open her lunch bag.

'_Am I lonely?' _she asked herself. Toris' words had set off something inside her, and she couldn't understand why she was taking this so seriously. She couldn't possibly be lonely.

She allowed a small sigh to escape her lips, and shook her head slightly, trying to clear her mind.

'_It's useless to think about it,' _she thought. '_Of course you're not lonely. __Don't let it bother you._'

"What are you sighing about?" a voice asked.

Natalya turned her head sharply at the sound. Lovino was sitting down next to her, the same distance away as when they sat in the rain last week. He looked at her expectantly, his green eyes alight with curiosity.

"There aren't many people who can sneak up on me," she said instead of answering his question.

"I wasn't sneaking," he replied. "The door creaked loudly like it always does and you didn't move at all. I asked you what you were doing up here and you didn't answer."

"...I didn't?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

The Italian shook his head. "Nope." He leaned back, falling into a relaxed position on the concrete. "Are you going to tell me why you were sighing?"

"I only sighed once," Natalya pointed out.

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"Why does it matter to you?" she asked harshly. "Leave me alone."

He frowned and stood up. "How come you don't want to admit something's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she answered, more quickly than she intended. "Stop pestering me."

"Why?"

"I'll make you regret it," she growled, growing more and more irritated with every passing second. She heard him gulp and hoped that her answer was enough to get him off her case.

It seemed to have worked, since he stood up and walked to the door, his footsteps somewhat quick.

_'So he's a coward after all,' _Natalya mused. _'It doesn't surprise me.' _

Lovino opened his mouth to speak and she narrowed her eyes. All she wanted was to be left alone with her thoughts, not hounded by this spineless Italian. She glared at him, as if daring him to utter a single word.

What little courage he seemed to possess faltered and he began to fiddle with the corner of his uniform blazer. "I..."

"Yes?" she said, almost threateningly.

"I'll see you in English," he mumbled, and dashed down the staircase, quicker than she'd ever seen someone run.

_'Tch. Pathetic.' _

* * *

**A/N: Not much happens here, sorry. It's also shorter than the last one! Apologies again. I'm trying to work on establishing their relationship more before I jump into some of the other stuff I have planned. I hope you didn't find this too boring. I have a question for you guys -**

**Should I alternate between Romano and Belarus' point of view for the chapters? **

**Please let me know! Reviews are appreciated, as well as constructive criticism.**

**EDIT: I changed a lot in the second half of this chapter because I felt that Romano was getting a bit out of character, especially with someone he's just gotten acquainted with. I hope the changes I made are acceptable. **

**Until next time!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Three days later and she hadn't spoken a word to him.

Lovino supposed he should have expected that, but it was too late now. They still met up on the rooftops, however, eating lunch and spending time together in silence.

He wished she would talk to him, but he knew that she was probably still angry at him for trying to pry into her personal business three days prior.

The Italian brushed his bangs away from his face, only to have them fall into place again. He huffed, wondering why he even bothered. He also wondered why he bothered trying to get Natalya to speak to him.

'_Well… She always has looked lonely,' _he reasoned. '_That should be cause enough for pestering her, right?' _

He was snapped out of his thoughts as the bell rang, and a wave of panic washed over him as he realized he missed a good portion of the lesson.

'_Calm down,' _he thought, '_Just ask Laura for notes, or something. At least she likes you. Unlike everyone else who prefers Feliciano -' _

Lovino grit his teeth as he stood up and exited the classroom. His annoyingly perfect brother always somehow wormed his way into his thoughts. The crowd of students was pushing him towards the lunchroom, but he angrily elbowed his way through the throng, trying to get to his locker.

He finally reached his destination after nearly being knocked over by a running freshman ("Sorry!" the kid had called. "I have a final to study for!"). He spun his locker combination and opened the door, unceremoniously shoving his backpack inside.

He was about to slam the door shut when he eyed his lunch bag. He wasn't very hungry, but shrugged, taking it anyway. He made his way up to the roof, silently hoping Natalya would be there. He shook his head shortly after; it was a ridiculous thought. She terrified him at times and she probably didn't want to have anything to do with him.

Lovino pushed open the door and there she was, sitting on the ledge like she always did. He sat down next to her like he always did, muttering a greeting before opening his lunch.

He took a bite and noticed her looking at him a little strangely. He met her gaze, swallowing before asking, "What?"

"This is the first time I've seen you eat," she answered.

He shrugged. "So? Did you think I didn't eat at all?"

She averted her gaze. "No."

Lovino couldn't help but grin a little. "I bet you did."

She scowled. "No, I didn't."

"Whatever you say," he said, taking another bite.

"Shut up," Natalya snaps.

He didn't answer, not wanting to anger her further and make her more unwilling to talk to him. He continued eating in silence when a thought occurred to him. "Do you have anything to eat?"

"No," she said, her voice unwavering. "I'm not hungry."

Lovino frowned but didn't push the matter. "If you say so."

* * *

One week later and they were starting to get somewhere.

In the past seven days (less, if you don't count the weekend), he hadn't asked her anything about herself and vice versa. All they'd done was eat lunch on the rooftop together, exchanging pleasantries and having short conversations that had no real direction (usually started by Lovino).

Today, however, she was the one to initiate conversation.

"I like to sing," was all that she said.

Lovino looked up from his lunch at the sound of her voice. "What?"

Natalya glanced at him and continued, "Last week, you asked me what I liked to do."

He raised an eyebrow. "It took you a week to come up with an answer? You're great at this."

"Would you rather I not say anything at all?" she retorted.

He decided to hold his tongue.

"I also like to cook," she continued, swinging her legs back and forth off the ledge.

"Well, that's something we have in common," Lovino commented. "Although, if you ask people who have tried my cooking, they'll always say they like my shit-head of a brother's cooking better."

Natalya turned her head to look at him. "Why do you talk about your brother like that?"

"Like what?" he asked, his mood becoming sour.

"He's your brother," she repeated. "Why do you talk about him so rudely?"

"Look, I don't want to talk about my brother right now," he told her, lying down on his back and avoiding her gaze. "I have other things to worry about and I don't want my mind on that jerk."

"Don't talk about your family like that," she said, almost commandingly.

"What does it matter to you?" he asked, huffing angrily.

"You don't know if they're going to be taken away from you."

There was no hesitation in her voice and Lovino wondered if she spoke from experience. The thought was quickly pushed out of his mind. "I survived my childhood without my brother. I think I'll be fine."

Natalya made a sound of irritation and stood up, making her way to the door. "You're infuriating."

"Does it look like I give a shit?" he snapped. His day had been going fairly well until now.

"No," she said, "and that's your problem."

She disappeared down the steps and Lovino was left staring after her, wondering what she meant.

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**A/N: Laura is Belgium, by the way. I really hope they're staying in character. If they aren't, please let me know and I'll fix it up as best as I can. Sorry for the short chapter! The next one is longer, I promise. Does it feel like I'm rushing anything? Anyway, I hope you liked it! **

**Until next time! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, everyone. This one's the longest chapter yet! Hope you like it. **

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Natalya wished she knew why he despised his brother.

Her mind flitted back to when she and her sister had to be separated from their brother, and she couldn't imagine going through that again.

It bothered her how easily Lovino spoke of how much he hated Feliciano. She knew that siblings have their quarrels, but the way he spoke was far angrier than she had ever heard him.

He was less than pleasant with her the day after their dispute. He had refused to talk to her, and Natalya was more than happy to return the favour.

The second day, however, he wasn't so upset.

_Natalya walked out onto the roof and sat down in her usual spot. Lovino was already there, on the opposite side of the roof and facing away from her. _

_She began to eat lunch without greeting him, and after a few moments, she heard him say something. _

"_What?" she asked. He was too far away and spoke very quietly. _

"_I said I'm sorry, dammit," he said, louder this time. "I mean, I'm sure as hell not sorry for hating my brother, but I _am _sorry for taking it out on you." _

_There was a slight pause before she answered. "Apology accepted." _

Two more days have passed since he said he was sorry.

She decided to tell him a little about herself every day, in exchange for him putting up with her silence in the first weeks of their acquaintance.

She spoke of how she enjoyed gymnastics and loved the occult. She told him about how she could see ghosts and how she likes to read the newspaper.

Natalya often wondered why they only met on the rooftop and nowhere else, but she couldn't complain; the roof was a better place than the crowded and noisy cafeteria. It had become their retreat, their shelter. What it was they were hiding from, she didn't know.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and she made her way up to the roof, her chemistry textbook in hand. She had a test this coming Tuesday, and the last thing she wanted to do was fail.

She ascended the staircase, wrenched the door open, and sat down next to Lovino, who also had a textbook open. A quick glance at the title told her that he was studying for his foreign language final.

He looked up at the sound of her lunch bag being set on the concrete. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hello," she answered, taking out her lunch before opening the book.

A peaceful silence followed before Lovino snapped his textbook shut.

"That's enough," he groaned, rubbing his eyes. "I can practically see the damn accent marks when I close my eyes."

Natalya smiled a little in amusement. "Are you regretting choosing French?"

"I didn't choose," he answered. "They wouldn't let me take Spanish because it's so similar to Italian."

"What a shame," she said, turning a page.

"Shut up," he said grumpily.

She closed her own textbook, turning her head to face him. "Can you tell me why you hate your brother now?"

His expression went from upset to surprised. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Just talk," she said.

Lovino fidgeted in his seat a little. "Do you want all of it or the abridged version?"

"All of it."

His mouth twisted into a frown, but he spoke. "Well… When I was a kid, I wasn't really good at anything. I tried to help Antonio and his family around the house, but I always made things worse. I tried to paint, and all I got was an ugly mess on a canvas. I mean, I was still a kid, and kids don't really paint well, but still. I was clumsy, and I dropped almost everything I held.

"I hadn't known my brother back then, but I knew of him. Our grandfather sent me away and I ended up with living with Antonio, while Feliciano got to travel and spend time with Grandpa."

"Why did he send you away?" Natalya interrupted his story, curious.

Lovino shrugged. "I don't know. I never got the chance to ask, and I can't ask now 'cause he's dead."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Please, continue."

"I've had a long time to adjust," he answered, although Natalya could hear traces of gloom in his voice. "Anyway, when I finally met my brother, it turned out that he was better than me at everything. He could clean without making a bigger mess, he could paint masterpieces when he was only seven. He was the perfect kid."

Natalya could see where this was going, but she let him continue anyway.

"Everyone seemed to forget about me," he said, the bitterness in his voice growing stronger. "They didn't care about what I could do, they only cared about perfect, little Feliciano. He inherited all of Grandpa's talents and looks, and everyone loved him. Everyone still loves him."

He sighed, lying down on the concrete. "I've always been treated as second best and I hated it. I don't like being compared to my brother, but it's what I've been hearing my whole life."

Natalya didn't know how to respond. "...I see."

Lovino laughed dryly. "It's not something that's easy to respond to, is it?"

"No," she said. "But now I see why you're upset with him. I still don't like it, since family is important to me, personally, but I understand."

"Thanks, I guess," he said. "I mean… I care about him somewhat. I just wish he weren't better than me at everything."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," she told him. "It's their fault for telling you this, not yours."

"I know," he sighed. "It doesn't make it any better. Now I have low-as-fuck self esteem, and I can't figure out what I want to major in. What am I supposed to do with my life if I'm not good at anything?"

"You're good at plenty of things," she assured. "Like cooking and working hard."

"How would you know that?"

"We had to take that home economics class back in freshman year, remember?" Natalya said. "Our teacher said that you had the best work ethic, which surprised everyone."

Lovino snorted. "Yeah, I remember."

"Besides," she said, zipping up her lunch bag. "It doesn't matter what Feliciano is good at, because he is his own person, and you are yours. Maybe you just haven't found anything you want to do yet, and that's alright. Whatever you end up choosing, don't let what other people say get to you. As long as you alone are happy with what you are doing, that is all that matters."

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**A/N: Natalya always seems to get the last word, doesn't she? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me if they're too OOC or I messed up some grammar or spelling. Am I rushing their relationship? I can't tell if I am. Reviews are appreciated. **

**Until next time! **


	5. Chapter 5

Career day.

Lovino hadn't expected it so early in the school year, but that didn't change how much he hated it.

All of his classmates were out of the building, meeting with experts in the subjects they wanted to take in college. Meanwhile, he was stuck in the English classroom writing an essay because he didn't know what he wanted to do yet. Even Natalya was gone, spending the hour with a former Olympic gymnast.

Natalya… He wondered why he wasn't afraid of her. He had a reputation (an unwanted one) for being the cowardly Italian with all bark and no bite. So why didn't he leave the roof that first day, recoiling in fear of the Belarusian?

Lovino shrugged it off, instead pondering what she had said the day before. He knew he shouldn't be so jealous of Feliciano, but he couldn't help it. Living in the shadow of his younger brother was his one constant in life, and he couldn't just force himself to forget it. It had been going on too long to imagine life without it.

Lovino also knew that his happiness came first, but there was nothing that made him truly happy. Well, nothing that would be enough to make a career out of.

He had to decide on a major at some point, since he was off to college in two years. The school days have been passing quicker than ever, and nearly everyone had already chosen what they wanted to go to college for, despite it being less than halfway through junior year.

The Italian sighed, running a hand through his hair. What could he do for college? Art school? No, he wasn't good enough for that. Culinary school? Ehh, maybe. Theatre?

He snorted at that last one; his acting skills were practically nonexistent.

The sound of the door creaking open made Lovino's head snap up. Natalya walked through the door, followed by the rest of his classmates. Was the hour already over?

"How was it?" he asked Natalya as she took the seat next to his.

"It went very well," she said. "She really knew what she was talking about."

Lovino hummed in acknowledgement as the room was called to attention by Ms. Kirkland. The class received their assignment for the evening before being dismissed, and the entire class bolted out of the door.

Lovino and Natalya took a slower pace, walking leisurely down the hallway. They didn't have to worry about not having enough time for lunch, as the period lasted an hour.

They definitely made an odd pair; his warm appearance and slumped shoulders contrasted greatly with her icy atmosphere and the almost noble way she held herself.

They soon found themselves on the roof, as usual, and Natalya spoke before he had even taken his lunch out of the bag.

"What did you do the entire time we were out?" she asked.

"Wrote an essay," he answered. "I fucking hate essays."

"That certainly sounds enjoyable," she said, sarcasm lacing her voice.

He made a face at her, to which she responded with an eyeroll.

"I still can't believe there wasn't a single other person who didn't know what they wanted to study," Lovino grumbled. "I was left all alone with Ms. Kirkland…"

He didn't want to say he disliked the teacher, but, well… He really disliked the teacher. Strict, uptight, and a bit scary at times, Ms. Kirkland was the mother of Arthur Kirkland, student council president and teacher's pet. The most notable thing they had in common were their horrendous eyebrows.

"You could have lied," Natalya pointed out.

Lovino groaned. "I could have!"

"Too late now," she said, a smirk in her voice that barely showed on her lips.

"I know that," he mumbled, hugging his knees to his chest.

"You look like a child," Natalya commented.

"Yeah. So what? Fight me."

Natalya laughed softly, and it was the first time Lovino heard her do so. He glanced at her, and she was looking at him with an amused smile on her face.

"You should do that more often," he said.

She looked confused. "Do what?"

"Smile."

* * *

**A/N: Gahhh it's so short! Apologies, everyone. This one's more of a filler, but I've already started writing the next chapter, so hopefully that will be up within the next week. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, despite it's length. **

**EDIT: I noticed that I wrote that Lovino was on the roof and then suddenly he was back in the classroom along with the rest of his classmates. I fixed it up, so hopefully it makes more sense now.  
**

**Until next time! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry, this chapter took a bit longer to get out. It's really short, and more of a filler, but it has this really tiny important thing in it, I guess. **

* * *

Natalya was just about to go around the corner of the hall when she heard a voice call her name. "Natalya?"

She turned to see her sister, Sofia, at the other end of the hallway. "Yes?"

"Where are you going?" her sister asked, taking a few steps closer, confusion etched on her face. "You haven't shown up to lunch in weeks! You aren't going to the roof, are you?" she added, noticing that the corridor Natalya was about to enter was one that students didn't use; it had the roof stairwell in it, along with faculty rooms that students didn't have any interest in.

"You know we aren't allowed up there!" Sofia exclaimed. "Is that where you've been going these past few weeks? You haven't shown up to lunch in ages! Please don't tell me you've been doing drugs up there -"

"I'm only having lunch with a friend," Natalya interrupted. "Calm down, there is nothing to worry about. Just go back to cafeteria with…"

The rest of the words died on her lips as it registered in her mind what she had said. Her eyes ducked to the tiled floor as she repeated it in her mind. '_Friend…?' _

It was the first time she'd ever officially acknowledged her friendship with Lovino. The word felt foreign on her tongue, as she couldn't remember the last time she had an actual friend. It was odd to say, but it was also… nice.

"Natalya?" Sofia asked again. "Are you alright?"

She nodded absently. "Yes, I'm fine." She shook herself and looked up again. "You don't have to worry about me not showing up to lunch. I'm only meeting with a friend."

"And you're sure this friend doesn't sell you drugs?"

Natalya rolled her eyes. "Yes."

Sofia still looked unsure about Natalya spending time in a forbidden area. "Well, you should still come back with me to the cafeteria. You could get in trouble!"

Natalya sighed. She knew Lovino would be waiting for her, and she didn't like to be late, even if it was over something as casual as lunch. "We haven't gotten caught before. One more day won't hurt."

Sofia frowned and marched up to her younger sibling. "I can't have my younger sister in danger of getting a detention. Besides, everyone is looking for you!"

Sofia gripped Natalya's wrist and began dragging her down the hall. "Let's go!"

Natalya frowned wrenched her arm out of Sofia's grasp. "I can walk by myself. I am not a child."

"Of course you aren't," Sofia said, smiling. A few moments of silence passed until she spoke again, "Ivan has been missing you as well."

Natalya unconsciously stood up straighter. "He has?"

Sofia nodded. "He even went to look for you one day! He didn't find you, obviously, but wasn't it nice of him to go look?"

Natalya smiled softly to herself. She admired and looked up to her older brother greatly, and it made her feel nice inside to know that he had been concerned for her. The smile was gone as quick as it came; she had a reputation to uphold. "I suppose it was."

"Hey," Lovino said quietly as he sat in the desk next to Natalya's. "Where were you today? You never showed up."

"My older sister got a hold of me," Natalya answered, not turning to look at him. "Quite literally, I might add."

"Oh," Lovino said. "Sounds fun."

"I assure you, it wasn't," Natalya replied dryly.

"Sorry about that."

"I should be the one apologizing," she said. "I never let you know where I was, even though I had my cellphone on me."

Lovino shrugged. "It's fine. Sh-t like this happens all the time."

Natalya only nodded. She glanced at the clock, and saw that class wouldn't start for another fifteen minutes. One advantage to having an hour-long lunch period was that you could finish eating quickly and get to class early, which meant getting the seat you wanted.

"How was the cafeteria?" Lovino asked after a few seconds of silence.

"The same as ever," she replied. "Loud and headache-inducing. People shouting and laughing far too loudly. Food being thrown occasionally."

Lovino snorted. "Just like I remember. Hey, can I ask a question?"

"Yes."

"So, we talk about me a whole fuckton," he said. "And that's great, I'm great, but what about you? What do you want to do for college?"

Natalya stayed silent for a few moments, figuring out what she wanted to say. "I was thinking about taking psychology classes."

"Thinking about?"

"I haven't locked onto it yet," she said, then sighed. "I'm also considering gymnastics or dance."

He nodded as the teacher walked in. "Well, good luck deciding."

* * *

**A/N: Uggghhh, I'm so sorry, everyone. Sofia is Ukraine, although you probably figured that out. Anyway, chapters are going to take longer to post; school is starting soon, so I'm going to be pretty busy. Just thought I'd let you all know. **

**Until next time! **


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